Hey gang, (wow I've been watching too much Scooby Doo from childhood haha) Sorry for the long wait, but here is the next chapter. Life has been hectic and I finally got time to sit down and finish out this chapter. I and greenansatsu have also started getting the next chapter worked on as well with the goal being to get a chapter ahead of updates like I used to be so I can crank out faster updates for you all who deserve more consistent updates to this story.
Thanks again to all who have reviewd this story so far and I hope to hear from all of you again after this one. Now to answer reviews so we can get on to the story.
Batrenz: Yeah the artifacts episode from The Batman has a real good chance of showing up some point. I think its an episode I want to do but I'm debating on where to put it cause it an episode that I can almost put in anywhere so I want to try and narrow down where I want it to go. I also think it would be cool to see a fully trained and at their height Batgirl and Red Robin teaming up to fight Freeze would be something extremely cool to write. Also just want to say I appreciate the reviews you've been giving me and for sticking throught the story. Hope to have you more steady updates so you can continue to enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it for you and everyone.
For your other review about Nathan and his love life or lack thereof (LOL) with Barbara and Artemis you'll just have to wait and see what's planned haha
Megatronus Uchiha: Yeah he does somewhat come across as immature, but that's kinda the point. He needs to grow out of it. He's only 15 years old and has hung out with Dick for most of his life, including his childhood before he or even Dick became heroes, so he's picked up a lot of Dick's child antics. Not sure about what I want him to do as far as getting a new hero gimmick and name yet. Have a few ideas but not sure with which one I want to go. Part of the reason for going solo was for him to grow out of the antics, but you don't just automatically grow out of them especially if its been how to react to things for most of your life, so its going to be a process. I want some realism in here, I don't just want him to grow out of things too quickly but I also understand things need to progress so I'm also trying to find that balance, but hopefully you've been enjoying the story so far.
LordSoundwave: Glad to see you're still reading the story. I appreciate it and keep reading got some twists and turns planned.
WyvernBLZRD: Thank you for the review boss. Hope you continue reading even with my slow updates that I want to make more steady.
Now, I don't own DC :( But onto the story!
BIRDS OF A BAT
TEST…TEST… GROUP TEST
GOTHAM CITY
October 16, 16:01 EDT
Nathan sat in his usual booth at his favorite cafe, waiting for his date to arrive. He had gotten a text saying she would be late, so he decided to at least order a tea with lemon to have something to sip on while he waited.
As he sipped his tea he saw the person he was waiting for walk through the doors and raised his hand to get her attention. He got up from his seat and stood next to the table, waiting for her to reach their spot. Once she did, Nathan hugged her and kissed her cheek, "Glad you could make it."
"Me too," Barbara answered, returning the kiss and then both sat in their booth to begin their date.
"I missed this," Nathan said as he and Barbara fell into their usual rhythm, which took them no time at all to get comfortable around each other again.
"Sorry I was late," Barbara apologized, "Dad said something about the power grid for Gotham causing accidents throughout the city and was called away so I had to finish some house things before I could leave."
"It's all good," Nathan said, brushing aside her need for apology, "I'm just glad you're here," he said, showing through his facial expression how genuine he was glad she was here.
Just then the waitress came to their table and delivered their food and then left the love birds to their date as she went to wait on another table.
Nathan prepared himself to dig into his food, when his phone went off causing him to sigh. When he checked his phone however, he was sure Barbara could notice that his skin became paler the more he read Dick's text. "Batman down! Get to the Cave NOW!"
[Recognized: Red Robin B Zero-Four]
Red Robin came through the zeta tube and immediately moved to Robin, "What is going on?" he asked, his voice showing worry.
"Batman, the others, they're… gone," Robin said mournfully.
"Team," came the voice of Red Tornado as he appeared on one of the main communication monitors, he was communicating from the battlefield and the invasion could be seen behind him as he spoke, "I fear I am all that remains of The League," he spoke, but before any of The Team could answer him, Red Robin watched as a ship flew onto the screen, and Red Tornado was zapped with an energy beam and was gone.
Aqualad closed his eyes in brief mourning before opening them and saying, "We are Earth's heroes now," with a serious tone to his voice.
"So what are we waiting for?" Superboy asked angrily, "a theme song?!"
"A strategy," Aqualad answered, still with an authoritarian sound to his voice, "Earth's weapons are ineffective and it has been made tragically clear that a direct attack will not succeed."
"Checking satellite imagery," Robin said, punching a few buttons on his holoscreen. Red Robin just watched as The Team did its thing, not trying to make himself known, he was still dealing with the deaths of the entire league, particularly Batman. He wanted to grieve the loss of his mentor, but he knew Batman would want him to focus and grieve later.
"So, are you coming back?" came a voice at a whisper beside him, as he heard Superboy's surprise over Superman's Fortress of Solitude. Red Robin turned his attention to the voice to see Artemis looking at him.
"Don't know," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "You don't really need me," he observed as The Team worked on a strategy.
"We will target this lone ship," Red Robin heard Aqualad speaking, gaining the attention of the room.
"Yeah," Kid Flash cheered, "we'll break it down and build more. Hit those ugly aliens with their own mojo," he said, pounding his fists together.
"Will you join us?" Aqualad asked, gaining Red Robin's attention and putting the eyes of everyone else on Red Robin.
"Ah," Red Robin dragged out looking for words and for his answer.
"It would be great to have you back!" Miss Martian interjected excitedly. Red Robin noticed even through the mask that Robin wore, his pleading look.
"Yeah, I'll join, but we are gonna need more than just the heroes in this room if we are going to stand a chance," he explained to them, laying the groundwork for his plan, "I want to try and put another team together to give us some added help."
"A wise decision," Aqualad nodded, giving his approval, "We will deal with the ship, while you recruit some much needed assistance if we are going to take the fight to these invaders."
Red Robin nodded in thanks and set off to build a team.
GOTHAM CITY
October 16, 19:16 EDT
Red Robin landed by Barbara's window and seeing the person he wanted to talk to, he knocked on the window and watched as Barbara stirred out of her bed and ran to her window and opened it to allow Red Robin in.
"What's going on out there?" Barbara asked, "I've been watching the news, but what's really happening?" she asked.
Her answer didn't come, rather Red Robin pulled her into a kiss and she eagerly returned it, "I would have come back sooner but… everything's…" he paused, not being able to bring up what happened to Batman or the rest of The League for that matter.
Barbara put a comforting hand on his cheek and he leaned into it, "I'm sorry," she said, rubbing his cheek with her thumb softly.
Red Robin let the moment play out before getting back to the real reason he came by to see her. "I'm putting together a team," he explained to the now wide eyed redhead in front of him.
"And?" Barbara asked.
"I want you to be on it," he stated matter-of-factly, "I know I usually tell you no, but I figured since the world's ending you're going to get involved anyway, so I want to give you the chance to really make a difference."
"Who's on this team?" she asked quizzically.
"Oh me, Red Arrow, Zatanna, and a couple of Atlantians," Red Robin listed off nonchalantly to her.
"And you want me?" she asked bewildered, but excited.
"Yeah, it's pretty much all hands on deck to save the world."
"And you can't get anyone else?" she asked.
"There isn't anyone else," Red Robin said, solemnly looking at the ground.
"Well that makes me feel great about myself," Barbara mumbled jokingly to Red Robin.
Red Robin chuckled and stuck out his hand, "So you in?"
Barbara ignored his hand and hugged him instead, "Heck yeah, I'm in!".
MOUNT JUSTICE
October 16, 19:25 EDT
Red Robin stood in front of his team that he recruited, catching them all up to speed with recent events so that they had a better understanding with what they were going up against and what he was asking them to do.
"This isn't going to be easy, far from it actually," he continued, "but nothing worth doing ever is. The Justice League understood this and they paid the ultimate price to allow us our freedom," he spoke trying to rally his team, but upon mentioning the Justice League, he along with those who had mentors and friends in the league took a few seconds of time to grieve their loss before he continued again, "This is what I'm asking you all to do, should it come to that. We are the last line of defense for Earth and should we have to fight to the last man to save this planet then that is what we will do."
He was interrupted as the cave computer started to announce arrivals to the cave. He watched as Miss Martian and Robin were the first to appear then a few seconds later Kid Flash, followed by Superboy.
"Boy am I glad to see you guys," Red Robin stated, coming up to Robin and the team. The two former sidekicks to Batman bro hugged before he shook hands with the rest of the team, "Wait…," Red Robin hesitated, as he put pieces together, "where's Artemis and Aqualad?" he asked.
The Team looked around upon Red Robin mentioning their leader, but when several more seconds passed and he didn't appear and the look Miss Martian gave, The Team knew what happened.
"They're both gone," Robin stated solemnly, looking at the ground. Red Robin's face fell and he did his best to hold back tears as his team started to make their way over to grieve the loss of more friends.
"Dude!" Kid Flash said, coming up excitedly putting an arm on Red Robin and Robin, "they aren't gone, just teleported!" he explained, catching the attention of the entire room, "The lasers they've been using give off the same zetabeam radiation like our zeta tubes," he explained.
"So you think they've only been teleported somewhere?" Red Robin asked.
"I know they have," Kid Flash said confidently.
"If that's the case then," Red Robin began, looking towards Robin,
"It is," Kid Flash reiterated.
"Then our next mission is crystal clear." he pointed out, getting nods from the rest of the room.
"The only reasonable detention facility to house the Justice League would be here," Robin stated pulling up a picture of a ship on a giant holoscreen so the whole room could see, "their mothership on top of what used to be Smallville."
"Superboy, along with Aquagirl and Tempest will cause a distraction," Red Robin stated, which was met with the immediate disapproval from Miss Martian.
"No you can't!" the teen martian exclaimed, "he's offering you as a sacrifice," she continued, turning to face Superboy, "Aqualad would never do that!"
"You're right," Robin retorted, "Aqualad would sacrifice himself, a mistake that just cost us our leader."
"Superboy, along with the magic wielding Atlanteans of Aquagirl and Tempest pose the biggest threat, motivating the aliens to deploy. Allowing the rest of us to sneak aboard the mothership to free the Justice League inside.
"Worst case," Kid Flash spoke, trying to drive the point home, "he's teleported inside and we free him along with Artemis, and ah Aqualad, a-and everyone."
Superboy turned to her and Red Robin could tell that he was having a mental conversation and judging by facial expressions he was assuring her that he was ok with the plan.
SMALLVILLE
October 16, 22:41 EDT
Red Robin walked from where he was scouting the mothership with Robin, as he finished strapping in a bandolier across his chest, to where his team was huddled back near the outlined woods that gave them cover. He made his way over to Batgirl who was fidgeting with her belt preparing to move out when her number was called.
"You ok?" Red Robin asked, as he approached her.
"Yeah, just making sure everything is good," she responded, but Red Robin noticed the edge in her voice.
"Hey," Red Robin calmly spoke to get her attention, putting a hand on her shoulder, "You'll do fine. I wouldn't have asked you if I didn't think you could handle it," he added, pulling her into a hug as he did.
"I know," she said, whispering into the nape of his neck, "It's just finally hitting me what I'm up against."
"Yeah, I know the feeling," Red Robin tried to keep her spirits up, "That feeling never really goes away," he then leaned back to look in her eyes, "I'm sorry we didn't get more time together," he apologized, resting his hand on her cheek, "I'm also sorry for not telling you all about this," Red Robin gestured towards his suit with his other hand, "earlier and not being entirely truthful with you."
Before he could apologize for something else, Barbara reached towards his face and pulled their lips together and for a few seconds before hell let loose, Red Robin felt complete bliss. When they pulled apart, Barbara just smiled at him before turning and joining the rest of her team.
Red Robin was brought back to Earth and the dilemma they faced when he saw the two Martians take off towards the mothership and so he made his way over to Robin, as well as the two Atlanteans to join Superboy.
Once the Atlanteans appeared Robin gave them and Superboy a nod of his head and the three took off to gain the attention of the mothership and the alien forces inside. Red Robin was astonished at how many aircraft the mothership launched to deal with the three superpowered teens, but this gave him and Robin's team the opening they needed to board the mothership.
As the launch doors were open for the ships to take off and deal with the threat the Atlanteans and Superboy posed, the ground team took the opportunity to use the open doors to sneak aboard the mothership. Kid Flash took off and grabbed Robin and the two leaped towards the open hangar doors of the mothership.
Red Robin and his team were about to use their various gadgets to grapple over when one of the hovering alien ships started to fly towards them and open fire.
"Everyone down!" Red Robin shouted, as he, Batgirl, and Red Arrow ducked to avoid the incoming fire from the alien ship as it flew past. The three stranded heroes took the time to set their grapple lines to the mothership and were about to take off when the ship started to make its second pass at them.
Red Robin looked over his shoulder to make sure his two comrades got off the ground with him, but when he looked back, he saw both Red Arrow and Batgirl get hit with the beam.
Red Robin landed on the mothership and rolled through his landing and ran to join Robin and Kid Flash.
"Where's the rest of your team?" Robin asked as he looked to see Red Robin joining them. Red Robin just shook his head to answer his partner's question and then forced his training from Batman to come to the forefront, 'focus on the mission now, grieve later'.
Robin looked at his partner against crime and noticed a single tear appear from underneath the cowl and knew better then to ask the questions he already knew the answer too and decided to put on his best serious game face and help his partner stay in the moment.
"Way is clear, Go!" shouted Robin into their telepathic link that Miss Martian established earlier. The three teens took off and hid behind a pillar they found, to try and stay out of sight, but when Red Robin and the others turned around they saw an alien looking right at them, but before it could do anything, a piece of debris hit the alien toppling it over and rendering it inoperable. Red Robin looked to his left and saw the camoed martian duo of Miss Martian and Martian Manhunter.
Robin waved to them to follow and the team of five took off down a hall to get to the detention level to free their mentors and other members of their team and The Justice League. Red Robin looked behind him to check their six, but found Martian Manhunter holding up a faint Miss Martian.
"No," he heard her mumble, as she regained her balance, "He's gone," she said telepathically and she knelt on the ground.
"Don't worry," Kid Flash said, coming to her aid to help, "we'll find him with Artemis, I know it," he spoke, as he grabbed her shoulders to get her attention.
"No," came the telepathic voice of Martian Manhunter, "My mind is clearer now, the disintegration beam is exactly that. There is no detention facility , no prisoners to rescue. Our mission holds no purpose."
"No!" Kid Flash said, barely holding on to hope himself, "You're wrong!" he said as he grabbed the collar of Martian Manhunter. "The zeta radiation proves she's alive!"
Robin pulled Kid Flash off of Martian Manhunter, but Kid Flash not having it swatted his hand off his shoulder and turned to face Robin, but came face to face with Red Robin who pulled his attention to him.
"KF stop it!" Red Robin said, grabbing ahold of his collar area of Kid Flash's costume, "I've been scanning for League and Team signals since B-Batgirl… Artemis and everyone else are gone, but our mission still holds purpose," Red Robin stated, trying to bring up morale, sparring a quick glance to Martian Manhunter before turning it back to Kid Flash, "to destroy this mothership." and with that Red Robin turned and started walking down the hall again closely followed by Robin then the rest of the team.
The team eventually came to a door that opened and they rushed to the nearest cover. Once hidden, Robin checked his holoscreen from his wrist, "That's the powercore, blow this and the whole mothership goes with it."
He nodded and the team sprung to action, Kid Flash, Robin and Red Robin, while the two martians provided cover from the air as the three made their way to the powercore, but as they got closer, Robin, who was leading the way, began to get sucked towards the powercore like it had its own gravitational pull.
Kid Flash and Red Robin tried to grab hold of Robin to stop him, but when they tried the core started to pull them too. Robin thinking fast fired his grapple hook that connected to metal, while Kid Flash, grabbed Robin's ankle and Red Robin grabbed Kid Flash's.
An alien appeared above them, but was quickly taken out by the one two punch of Miss Martian and Martian Manhunter. Miss Martian then used her telepathic powers to grab the grapple line and lower it down towards the powercore so the three teens could do their part.
Once on the powercore, Red Robin took off his bandolier and layed it on the powercore, and Robin using his wrist computer activated what Kid Flash just realized in that moment were bombs.
"You two knew?" he asked, but the two teens ignored him.
"Four minutes," Robin announced as the countdown for the bombs started, "Let's go."
The team made their way towards the door, but before they could reach it, it closed and aliens descended upon them, firing exploding bolts of energy at the team forcing them to take cover.
The two martians broke one way, while the other three broke the other way. Red Robin realized they were pinned down and he shared a knowing look with Robin and the two teammates nodded in unison.
"Miss Martian, Manhunter get going!" Red Robin spoke through the link.
"No! We aren't leaving you behind." Miss Martian retorted, not wanting to leave her team, and friends behind to face the aliens.
"We'll follow once we blow the doors!" Red Robin thought back, giving a nod towards Miss Martian and watched as she and Martian Manhunter phased through the doors.
Robin showed his countdown to the other two which only had fifteen seconds left and the three knew what to do. Kid Flash lowered his goggles, while Robin and Red Robin armed themselves with birdarangs and the three lept from their place of cover and charged the aliens.
The last thing Red Robin saw was the explosion from the powercore then nothing.
Red Robin with a gasp of air shot up and after gaining his barrings realised he was back in The Cave and that he was also still alive. Quickly looking around he saw the rest of the team was still alive as well. He saw Batman checking on Martian Manhunter and tried to figure out what was happening.
"What happened in there?" Batman asked Martian Manhunter as The Caped Crusader checked on his friend.
"The exercise, it all went horribly wrong."
"Exercise?" Robin asked, as the team all tried to figure out what had happened to them.
"Try to remember," Batman spoke, turning to now address the team, "What you experienced was a training exercise. Manhunter psychically linked the seven of you in an artificial reality, you all knew this going in. What you didn't know was that it was a train for failure exercise. No matter what the team accomplished, the scenario was designed to grow worse. Still you were aware that nothing was real, including the deaths of the entire Justice League." Batman explained.
"That is why you hardly grieved, even as wolf was disintegrated before your very eyes," Martian Manhunter explained, as he tried to recover, "but all that changed when Artemis died. Though consciously Miss Martian knew it was not real, her subconscious mind could not make that distinction, she forgot it was only an exercise." Manhunter continued.
Red Robin watched the look of horror grow on Miss Martian's face.
"And her subconscious took control, making all of you forget too" Manhunter spoke, finishing his explanation."
"I- I'm s-s sorry," Miss Martian fumbled out an apology looking at everyone in her team.
"This isn't her fault!" Superboy yelled, sticking up for Miss Martian, "Why didn't you stop the exercise!?" he yelled at Manhunter.
"We tried," Manhunter answered, "but M'gann had a deathgrip on the scenario. Even Artemis who should have awakened upon her death was so convinced she had passed, slipped into a coma. I realized that I would have to wrest control from Miss Martian's subconscious from within, but upon entering the reality I was overwhelmed by your collective emotion. There was too much noise to think clearly, to remember why I was there. The death's of Aqualad and Superboy helped, but only when the mothership exploded and Robin, Kid Flash and Red Robin were silenced did my mind clear enough to remember my true purpose, to shock M'gann out of the exercise before your comas became permanent."
Red Robin, rubbed his head, as he put all the pieces together of what happened to him and the team with Martian Manhunter's explanation as to how events unraveled.
"My apologizes, I had no idea a training exercise could be so dangerous… so damaging.
GOTHAM CITY
October 16, 23:34 EDT
Red Robin crouched at the ledge of a building looking over a section of Gotham City lost in thought about the training mission he had just went through with the team. After the League's explanation of events he stated he needed to recover and on his way out, he hugged Miss Martian and she tried to get him to stay, but he declined saying he needed to be alone.
So here he was overlooking Gotham City, until he heard footsteps landing beside him, he was too lost in thought to care who it was, but Batgirl appearing beside him though it should have made him happy to see her alive, her death replayed over in his mind now that he saw her.
"You ok?" she asked. "You seem kinda out of it." she stated, crouching beside him.
"I'm fine," he stated, though he hated that it came out kind of broken, which he noticed Batgirl had caught on too.
"Really?" she asked, raising one eyebrow, "I just stopped a bank robbery right in front of your face and no never noticed the robbery, me or the cops who are down there now wrapping up the scene.
Red Robin couldn't help the several blinks his eyes made as they focused on the police escorting cuffed criminals into patrol cars.
"You wanna talk about it?" she asked him.
"Not particularly, no"
"Well," Barbara sighed, getting up, "If you need to, I'm here to listen." and she left him alone to brood.
Thanks everyone for reading this new chapter. Hoping to have the next one for you soon. Sorry again for the late updates, but stick around if you can and keep checking for updates cause I don't plan on quitting this story any time soon and plan to see it through to a worthy conclusion. Please leave reviews cause I appreciate it and see you all next time.
P.S.
If you guys read this and saw that the chapter was in here twice. I accidently pasted it back in when I was transferring it between programs so I apologize haha. That's what I get for trying to update while extremely tired